Through his first three starts, Washington Nationals rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg has a 2-0 record, and has recorded 32 strikeouts with a 1.86 ERA. His two home starts have been sellouts – which for the Washington Nationals are as rare as a sorority house virgin – and his start at Cleveland gave the Indians a 4,000 ticket boost in sales. Needless to say, the buzz around the 21-year old has some MLB pundits saying his presence could be a huge attraction at the 2010 All-Star Game next month. If only somebody would completely miss the point…

Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker and ESPN announcer and Hall-of-Famer Joe Morgan openly disagree with this notion, seeing as Strasburg didn’t join a MLB roster until this month, making him far less deserving than pitchers that have been around since Opening Day. While they acknowledge the potential of the former No. 1 pick in the 2009 MLB Draft, Baker and Morgan just don’t think it’s his time yet.

Hey Joe Morgan, have you been around baseball a long time and seen stars come and go?

“I think he’s going to be a great pitcher, like everyone else thinks. He’s going to be great, but that shouldn’t make you skip things,” Morgan said. “I was here when J.R. Richard pitched and no one wanted to put him on the All-Star team after he struck out 15 in his first game.

“I’ve seen phenoms before. I don’t think there’s any doubt he’s going to be a great pitcher, but I don’t think you should come here and leapfrog guys who have been doing this all year.” Via Fanhouse

Baker agrees with Morgan’s comments, and of course he would. His Reds have greatly benefited from the outstanding performance of their own rookie badass, Mike Leake, who is 5-1 with a 2.92 ERA and 58 strikeouts through 14 starts. Baker’s Reds have also been neck-and-neck with the St. Louis Cardinals, who are the benefactors of a breakout season by rookie Jaime Garcia, who is 6-3 with a 1.59 ERA and 66 strikeouts. Baker and Morgan certainly have one hell of an argument right there.

That is, until you factor in that every MLB team has to be represented by at least one player at the All-Star Game, and seeing as no Nationals players are currently leading any position voting, and there is only one Washington player (Pudge Rodriguez) even in a Top 5 battle right now, it could also be argued that the guy who has actually created excitement about baseball in a city that has had to suffer through the post-Ripken Baltimore Orioles and accept being the landing spot for the defunct Expos could be a solid draw come July 13 in Anaheim. I mean, unless the fans would rather have Adam Dunn’s usual record-setting strikeout pace. Because who wouldn’t want to watch that?

Join The Discussion

Well, since Dusty Baker is a retarded fucking idiot, I guess it doesn’t matter what the fuck comes outta his mouth, huh?

06.22.10 at 4:22 pm

Upstate Underdog

If is still averaging almost 11 K/game he needs to be on the all-star team.

“I was here when J.R. Richard pitched and no one wanted to put him on the All-Star team after he struck out 15 in his first game.

No one wanted to put JR Richard on the All-Star team after he struck out 15 in his first game because he pitched that game on September 5, 1971. Two months after the all-star game so go suck a dick Joe Morgan.

/FJM’d

06.22.10 at 4:23 pm

Upstate Underdog

Argree with Dorammu, Baker can also suck it.

06.22.10 at 4:28 pm

DimpieChimplins

+1 UU for the FJM style raping of Joe Morgan.

06.22.10 at 4:36 pm

JHC

I’m sure Morgan would rather the Nat’s spot on the All Star team go to their second-baseman, whoever the fuck that is, because everyone knows second base most difficult position to play.

I’m with UU. Fuck Joe Morgan and his tired baseball opinions.

06.22.10 at 4:42 pm

Stinky Pete

Dusty Baker is the Isaiah Thomas of baseball, and Joe Morgan is a bitter old fossil. Why anyone would ever take anything the two of them say seriously is beyond me.

06.22.10 at 4:53 pm

TH

One more reason to hate on Joe Morgan. I mean, the ASG is about excitement and it’s supposed to “count”. Why not have a kid who’s done nothing but dominate since being called up? Wouldn’t that give the NL a better chance to win than Adam Dunn or Ivan Rodriguez or anyone on the team except maybe Ryan Zimmerman?

06.22.10 at 4:54 pm

TH

@ Dormammu

If Baker were managing Strasburg, Strasburg would be out of the majors by next years ASG

06.22.10 at 5:03 pm

Burnsy

Zimmerman is the obvious exception, but you’ve got Polanco leading the way, and I would argue alongside Dusty that Scott Rolen should start at third for the NL and nobody’s going to tell David Wright to stay home. Plus, Chipper will get a spot for his swan song.

06.22.10 at 5:08 pm

Taco_Jones

I would agree with them if the All-Star selection process wasn’t complete B.S.

P.S. Zimmerman and Dunn are both worthy of All-Star spots this year. It’s not like the Nats are that bad.

06.22.10 at 5:34 pm

Dormammu

Yay! We all love Dusty Baker. How about that Hitler guy, yeesh?

06.22.10 at 6:05 pm

TH

@Taco

“Not that bad” doesn’t get you HFA in the World Series. Dominant might though. Honestly, if I’m Bobby Cox, Tony LaRussa or any other manager of a World Series contender from the NL, I’m begging Cholly to pick Strasburg as the Nats rep. Hell, Cholly himself would be wise to pick Strasburg since the Phillies are still in the thick of things. At least that’s what I tell myself at night when they score 1 run for Halladay and make him feel like he never left Toronto.

06.22.10 at 7:58 pm

Joel

Shocking, two black guys don’t want the white kid at the All Star game.

Oh wait, that would only be racism if it was the other way around.

Fuck these two clowns.

06.23.10 at 10:56 am

Taco_Jones

TH, I wasn’t saying all of the Nationals should make it. I’m just saying the Nats aren’t Orioles-bad.

06.23.10 at 12:39 pm

Slothrop

So someone actually took the time to type up something that came out of Joe Morgan’s mouth and that Dusty Baker agreed with? I’d rather listen to a Vuvuzela concerto.

06.23.10 at 4:24 pm

Ryan

Zimmerman has been one of the top 5 best offensive players in baseball, he better be an all-star.

06.23.10 at 4:38 pm

Pepe Silvia

Zimmerman is third ON HIS OWN TEAM in OPS, so no, he’s not been one of the five best offensive players in baseball.

As for Strasburg, he’s been dominant for sure, but against the White Sox, Pirates and Indians. Let’s not jump the gun here and assume he’s gonna go all Pedro in ’99 at this year’s ASG.